Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Nayantara’s Billa has taken a bumper opening on day-one (Dec 14) of its release. It opened big in 229 screens across Tamilnadu and 50 odd overseas to a thundering reception.

In Chennai city’s 10 screens, it has taken an astonishing 97.5 percent opening, and in the suburbs which falls under Chengalpet territory from nearly 50 screens it has touched almost 95 percent, which truly is phenomenal!

In Coimbatore and Tiruppur towns, the film opened in a record 16 screens, and the opening is said to be fabulous, while Madurai’s five screens have also reported impressive openings.

And overseas especially in Dubai and UK, the film has taken a very good opening. In US, in places where temperature has fallen below normal and is freezing, the response to Billa has been extra-ordinary that the distributor has asked for more number of prints.

Meanwhile the trade experts say that Ajit’s Billa has taken the second best first day opening in Tamilnadu after Rajnikanth’s Sivaji, which had more number of screens! Please note this Ajit film has no Telugu dubbed version nor did it release in Kerala and Karnataka.

In Chengalpet area, a theatre started the first show of Billa at 6.03 am, and sold tickets at a ‘unofficial’ flat rate of Rs 150 and reported houseful! The theatre played the film continuously for seven shows! In Chennai city, Albert started the first official screening of the film at 8 am.

But Ajit’s critics mainly in the industry are asking the question- “Will Billa hold on to its record opening day collections? Can the guy deliver a super hit?” The producer of Billa Ananda Pictures L.Suresh says: “It is a super hit, according to all trade analysts that I have spoken to as they say it is racy and entertaining.”

Added Vishnu Vardhan: “ I was theatre hopping the whole day and the response I saw was simply fantastic with people going crazy about the film. My mobile was continuously ringing as people from all over Tamilnadu, UK, and other parts of the world called me up and said they enjoyed it.

The distributors and theatre people say they will make profits by the end of the first week. So will Billa be a super hit or a possible blockbuster? Watch this space